This invention relates to product shipping cartons. More particularly, the invention relates to a shipping carton system which provides additional capacity for shipping various related products. The invention encompasses an extension box and a carton system which utilizes the extension box along with a primary box. The invention further encompasses a method for forming a unitary shipping carton.
Many types of products may be customized for a particular consumer and then shipped directly to the consumer. For example, portable computers may be shipped with a number of different accessories such as power supplies, chargers, additional drives, and various software media along with hard copy manuals and documentation. The highly customizable nature of these types of products combined with the practice of shipping products directly to the consumer creates problems in the design of shipping cartons or packages for the products. Ideally, shipping cartons should be as compact as possible in order to save shipping costs and the cost of the carton itself. Also, minimizing shipping carton size is desirable for environmental reasons.
One solution to the shipping carton issue for highly customizable products is to design a single carton or box large enough to accommodate any configuration in which the product may be shipped. This solution is wasteful of the material used for the one-size-fits-all box, and wasteful of the material required inside the box for stabilizing the various configurations which may be shipped.
Another solution to the packaging problem is to have a different shipping carton for each different product configuration that could be ordered. This solution is, however, expensive both in terms of the number of cartons which must be designed and in terms of the number of cartons which must be held in inventory. Also, it may be difficult to match the appropriate shipping carton with a particular product configuration during or after the product is assembled.
Yet another solution for packaging highly customizable products for shipping is to use one small carton for the base product and then completely separate cartons for each optional item which may be purchased along with the base product. However, this solution raises the problem of shipping the resulting multiple cartons to the purchaser and may increase shipping costs.
It is an object of the invention to provide a shipping carton system and extension box which overcome the above-described problems and others associated with shipping highly customizable products, particularly computers and related products. Another object of the invention is to provide a method for forming a unitary shipping carton.
A shipping carton system according to the invention includes a primary box and an extension box adapted to be joined together in a connected position. The primary box is adapted to contain a base product while the extension box provides room for optional items which may be purchased together with the base product. When joined together in the connected position, the combined boxes provide a unitary shipping carton which accommodates both the base product and optional items.
The extension box includes at least two stabilizing tabs. The stabilizing tabs extend from a connecting side of the extension box which is adapted to abut a side of the primary box when the boxes are in the connected position. For example, the two stabilizing tabs may comprise first and second lateral stabilizing tabs which extend parallel to each other from the connecting side of the extension box. The stabilizing tabs may be adapted to extend into tab receiving slots formed on the primary box. Regardless of how the stabilizing tabs are captured on the primary box, the tabs function to stabilize the extension box from lateral movement with respect to the primary box. In the preferred form of the invention, a stabilizing tab is located on each side of the extension box which meets the primary box when the boxes are in the connected position. Also, at least one of the stabilizing tabs is preferably adapted to be captured under major flaps included on the primary box.
The extension box includes a container portion which may comprise a complete enclosure for optional items. Alternatively, the container portion may include an open area on the connecting side adapted to abut the primary box when the boxes are in the connected position. When an open area is included on the connecting side of the extension box, the extension box preferably includes at least one stop element. Each stop element presents a surface in the plane of the connecting side of the extension box, and abuts a side of the primary box when the boxes are in the connected position. In this position, each stop element helps resist forces tending to crush the extension box into the side of the primary box.
The method for forming a unitary shipping carton according to the invention includes connecting the primary box and extension box with the stabilizing tabs extending into the respective tab receiving slots formed on the primary box. Once the boxes are in the connected position, the method includes applying adhesive tape to secure the two boxes together. This step includes applying tape over a first side of the primary box, across a junction between the two boxes, and over a first side of the extension box. The tape applying step also includes applying tape across a second side of the primary box opposite the first side, across the junction between the two boxes, and across a second side of the extension box.
The shipping carton system according to the invention facilitates using a relatively small box for a base product, but allows various optional items to be packaged together with the base product and shipped in a unitary carton. The invention reduces carton materials and inventory. Also, the shipping carton system requires no special taping equipment. The unitary carton may be taped together using the same taping equipment used for the primary box.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.